Neither Here, Nor There
by KayleeThePete
Summary: An estranged sister visits her brother's grave.  One-Shot.  Some spoilers for Last Stand and First Class.


So I went and saw the midnight showing of X-Men: The First Class, of course when it got out at around 2:30 AM I really couldn't do more than go home and collapse in bed, dead asleep. But nearly the moment I woke up the next morning the idea for this story started going in my head. With the relationship between Xavier and Mystique in the First Class how might she have reacted to his "death"? The first thing I can first really remember, through my bleary-just-barely-awake stupor, is this image coming to me of Raven kneeling at Xavier's grave talking to him, so I'm not really sure that I was actually thinking the question first or that the image came first… But I digress. I started this the day that it came out and I just finished it today; I don't know if anyone has done anything like this yet, but if they have I am not trying to copy anyone this has just been bothering me to write it, I hope that it is ok.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, period. The plot for this little dabble, perhaps is mine, but nothing else.

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><p><strong>Neither Here, Nor There<strong>

Most of the students were still home visiting their families, after the battle on Alcatraz many parents and children wanted to spend time together; only a handful remained and they were spread throughout the sprawling estate. It was far too quiet for Ororo's liking, truth be told, only having those few students, Logan (he had surprisingly offered to stay-on, which she had accepted) and herself around. She could not wait for school to restart, even more so for the fact that they were to have even more students.

The bell for the front door rang, echoing throughout the space. Ororo tilted her head to the side, frowning curiously at who would be visiting.

Standing on the other side of the door when she opened it was a statuesque, lithe woman with dark hair. "May I help you?" she asked the stranger cautiously.

The other woman quirked an eyebrow, in an almost amused manner. "I am Raven Darkholm."

Ororo's eyebrows shot up at that. "Mystique?"

There was a sardonic twist to her lips at that. "Not anymore."

The white-haired woman began to say that she did not understand when realization dawned on her. "The cure?"

Mystique – Raven smiled bitterly at that. "I was the first one it was used on as a weapon."

"Oh," the weather witch said awkwardly. They stood in silence for a moment. "Why are you here?" she finally asked the woman who used to be her enemy.

"I have come to see Charles's grave."

Ororo frowned. "May I ask why?"

The dark haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Personal reasons," she stated flatly, signaling loud and clear that the subject was closed.

The school's new headmistress was rather leery of letting the woman she had battled too often into the school, but she also knew that the other woman was not inclined to harm those she had considered the future of their kind. Finally Ororo opened the door wider, stepping aside to let Raven in.

The other woman walked in with her usual confidence; then let the white haired woman lead her through the building. Ororo noted that while the ex-mutant allowed her to lead, she seemed to already know where they were going, anticipating turns. Eventually they were in the garden and had come to stand in front of the grave of Charles Xavier – though his body was not there.

The weather witch attempted to read the other woman's expression but was unable to.

"Would you mind leaving me alone for a moment?" Raven did not take her eyes off of the marker.

Ororo was conflicted.

The dark haired woman turned her head the slightest bit to look at her. "Please?" There was the subtlest emotion in her voice; the X-Man could not put a name to it though.

Finally the white haired woman nodded and turned, walking back to the building; she looked over her shoulder just before she entered her home and saw Raven lower herself to sit on the grass in front of Charles' grave, reaching out a hand to gently run her fingers down the Professor's likeness on the stone. Ororo suddenly realized how little she knew about her former foe; her past, family, life before she met her. How did Mystique/Raven know Charles Xavier? She had always assumed that it had been through Magneto, but that did not align with the woman's actions just now. Ororo was still frowning in confusion as she walked through the halls of the school.

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><p>Raven ran her fingers down the graven image of Charles Xavier, the only person she would have never snapped at for calling her Raven while she still had her abilities. Whoever had done the work had done a fair job at creating his likeness, but they still had not quite capture the warmth and gentleness that had embodied the man.<p>

"Hello, Professor," she said quietly, a teasing note when she called him the name she had started. "I wonder if you ever expected me to come here?" She paused for a moment thoughtfully; then a rueful smile spread across her face. "You probably did, you always were good at reading me, even when you didn't read my mind."

She continued to trace patterns over the stone. "You made a good choice having Storm run the school; she loves this place and these children as much as you did. I don't think even Cyclops could have done as well." A thoughtful look came over her face again. "I have wondered about it, you know. What would have happened if Shaw hadn't tried to nuke the world; if we hadn't met Erik, or had met him under different circumstances? Maybe I would have been the one to take over the school after you. Maybe…" she bit her lip, "maybe we all could have found peace here, in anonymity and blending into human society."

She let her hand fall to her side. "I miss you. I miss this place," she glanced around her, "the safety and acceptance here." She looked back at the stone. "Even with us being on separate sides, I missed you and…everything." A pained look came over her face. "I have wished, many times, that I shared your views…but I don't. Can't." Another wry smile came across her face. "But you always understood that and never made me feel bad for it. You accepted both Erik and I, our choices, ideas and beliefs, without judging. You always loved us both no matter how much us being at odds broke you heart."

She sighed looking down at her lap. "Oh, Charles. We always said you were the best of us. You looked for the best in everyone, hoped for the best for everyone, dreamed bigger than any of us dared to dream; a world where mutants could live alongside humans openly, accepted by them." She looked over her shoulder toward the world outside the safe walls of the Xavier Institute. "And who would have guessed, who would have believed…" she looked back at the headstone. "Your dream is coming true." She bit her lip. "I'm still…I still have trouble really believing it can last, but…" she looked skyward, "this is so close to the fruition of your dream that even _I_ am daring to hope." She swallowed. "I only regret that you are not here to see it."

She frowned. "You know, I still do not understand those who actually _chose_ the 'cure'. How they could give up a part of themselves like that. In many ways it makes me angry because they willingly gave up something that I would die to have back." Raven bit her lip and looked around surreptitiously. "But…it may be that we are all going to learn a lesson about trying to force our will on nature," she whispered to the headstone.

She held out one finger and concentrated very hard. The finger suddenly went blue and the texture change for a moment before going back to the color and texture it was before. "It's temporary, Charles," she continued whispering. "The 'cure' is not permanent. My ability to shift has been slowly returning; getting stronger." She looked back toward the outside world again. "I bet that Erik has been noticing as well."

Raven turned back to the monument, a little troubled. "Neither of us has changed, I know myself and him well enough to know that. Even with the new goodwill that is being extended to mutants, I cannot say that we won't still work toward our end. I do know that I will try not to bring our actions down on the heads of the rest of our kind."

She sighed and looked around her. "I think I have made Storm nervous enough for one visit." She turned back and ran a hand along the image again. "I will try to come back again some time soon." She swallowed back the tears that she had refused to allow to fall and glanced around again before leaning toward the stone and whispering, "I love you, brother."

With one last brush of her fingers down the face on the stone she stood up, brushing the grass off of her skirt and turned toward the mansion.

It was very sudden, surprising her into spinning to look around for anyone. A presence – not intrusive – just the lightest of brushes – in her mind – achingly familiar.

Her eyes scanned the area around her, narrowed. "Charles?" she whispered.

There was no response or any other sign that the feeling had been real, but it had been there and she knew it.

One corner of her lips curled upward.

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><p>Ok, I know that Mystique may have been or seemed out of character but in the other movies she never did have a scene with Xavier so we never saw them interact outside of First Class, and this is based on the movies only so basically just forget any of the comics or cartoons. Anyway. This was just a dabble that I had to get out of my mind so that I could work on my other stories. As far as the title goes, I wasn't sure what to call this and suddenly I found myself writing "Neither Here, Nor There"; the meaning is for you to take as you will. Anyway, I hope that it was ok! Thank you so much for reading and please let me know what you think!<p> 


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